Located in Canada’s British Columbia, the Powder Highway is one of the world’s freeride and backcountry meccas. All the way along this iconic route, evocative names such as Revelstoke, Whitewater, Kicking Horse and Golden welcome ski bums from all over the world to their virgin slopes. And with 15 m of snow every year, they’ve got plenty of it to go round!

Just imagine. You’re in Besançon, France. A while ago you posted an off-the-wall video for a competition inviting the winner to go riding in Canada with Enak Gavaggio in person. And you wait and wait and wait some more. But unlike the other entrants, you’re the chosen one! And it’s you who’s off for an insane week on the Powder Highway! So you can imagine TicTic (his official nickname for the last 11 years) jumping, jumping and jumping for joy… all the way to Calgary airport.

.

.

Enak Gavaggio

The pro. Nickname Dark Lord or more recently Rancho, and even Nanak, Hey! Nak!, Nanouchka or Gavaggiouille as christened by Quentin. Ski cross racer and freeride legend. Lives in Les Arcs.

.

.

.

Quentin Chopard Lallier

The amateur. Nickname TicTic or Balourd. 21-year-old student studying for a degree in microprocessing. Ski nut and winner of the 2014 Julbo White Session. Lives in Besançon.

.

.

.

«Like being in an American movie inside a Julbo movie, what more could you ask for?!»

Quentin Chopard Lallier

....

Let’s go!

Once in Canada, the wild team take possession of their flagship, a superb motorhome with a number plate that says: LET’S GO!. And they’re off on an 800 km road & ride trip on the Powder Highway. Golden, Kicking Horse, Rogers Pass, Revelstoke, the ghost town of Sandon, Nelson, and Calgary to finish. The agenda for a week «from craziness to insanity» as Quentin so rightly describes it.

Action !

Not long after his arrival in Canada, Quentin discovers the country’s philosophy of skiing. Here, it goes like this: you walk to get to the areas that are «open», in other words marked but not groomed, with a ski patrol hut at the start. Obviously, the further you walk, the less skied it is. And it’s best not to venture onto prohibited areas as the consequences are immediate: withdrawal of your ski pass! And anyway, there’s already so much to do in the open areas that there’s no need to break the rules.

«Physically, Enak beat me hands down as I puffed and panted in his wake, he’s incredible»

Quentin Chopard Lallier

Some of the best spots of the week were T4 and T5 (T as in Terminator!) at Revelstoke. Practically unmarked slopes, each higher than the next, that are really worth the hour’s walk in. Our comrades also adored North Bowl where very little walking was required for lots of superfast couloirs.

«Even though he’s incredibly fit, Quentin doesn’t have a huge amount of technical experience. When he sets off, he’s not super-clean and snatches at it a bit. But because he’s always willing to give it a go with a smile, we adore him! And that’s the spirit of the Julbo White Session.»

Enak Gavaggio

« At the end of some ride days, my thighs were trembling but my heart was full of joy.»

Quentin Chopard Lallier

«I can’t believe what I’m experiencing, there’s nothing to match it! I’m going to have to try really hard if I want my wedding to be half the trip this is.»

Quentin Chopard Lallier

«You can’t put a price on getting a big laugh out of a pro rider who likes to fool around as much as Enak does»

Quentin Chopard Lallier

Time to remember

Quentin has a head full of great memories: the ribs, the headache from leaving the gas on for a whole day in the motorhome, his bare butt in the cool air of the forest at sunrise, the pine trees that he sometimes struggled to avoid, the ribs, the games of pool, the axe throwing, the ski sessions with Enak, their R&R time and the great laughs, the ribs, and yet more ribs!

A Big Thanks!

« I’d like to thank Julbo for making this dream possible and all the people I shared it with.Thanks to the directors and photographersDino (or «Grincheux»), Sébastien (or «Barbec»), Thibault (or «Boubouille») and Jérémy (or «Minus ») for their superb images.Thanks to the ski patrol, to the dream snow, to the mythical spots, and also to the ribs - our meals just wouldn’t have been the same without them!And finally, a big thank you to Enak for being brave enough to spend 10 nights cooped up with an unknown teen, for sharing his life for the nth time, for strutting his crazy stuff and for proving to me that with a bit of common sense, good ideas and being true to your wildest self, you can do great things in your life.»

Quentin Chopard Lallier

Our Partners

Sign up to our newsletter

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter

Be the first to find out about all the latest products, exclusive and special offers from Julbo.